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State and territory Labor leaders have penned an open letter warning that the federal system of government could fall apart if the coalition is re-elected.

The letter, published in today's Australian Financial Review, said voters had a clear choice at Saturday's federal election.

"A clear choice faces Australian voters in this election campaign - a choice between strengthening our federal system of government, or pulling it apart," the premiers and chief ministers said.

They said Prime Minister John Howard had gone further than any other leader in recent memory in working against the states and territories.

"However, the reality of our federal system today is that it is impossible to fix many of the big issues without real collaboration between the commonwealth and state and territory governments," the letter said.

"These issues are affecting us as Australians today. But many of them will have their most significant impact many years into the future."

Health and education were key issues where the federal coalition had failed to consult with other tiers of government.

"We need a federal government that is prepared to sit down around the table and constructively engage with states and territories to resolve these issues," the letter said.